Improvement in fire-escapes



sheets-Sheetl D. l.. DIEOKMANN. Fire-Escape.

No. 205,949.` Patented 1u|y16,187s.

3 Sheets-Shet D. L. DIEGKMANN. Pire-Escape.

No. 205,949. Patente `July 16, 1878..

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METERS. FHow LTHGGRAPHER WASHINGIQN D c UNITED STATES PATENT FFIGE.

DIEDRICII L. DIEOKMANN, OF NEWr YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ESCAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205,949, dated July 16, 1878,' application filed December 1l, 1877.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, DIEDRICH L. DIECK- MANN, of New York city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Ladders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a clear and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a fire-ladder that can be easily extended to any story of a building in case of afire, also, in attaching to said ladder a simple and easily-operated contrivance by aid of which persons can descend with safety; also, in another contrivance by aid of which packages and bundles can be lowered.

The ladder, with all its attachments, is placed on a truck, by aid of which it can be moved from place to place.

Referring to the drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of a truck and ladder, showing the frame extended.. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a side view, showing the frame when closed. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is a sectional view.

A is a truck, supported on four Wheels, B B, and provided with side boards a and a fixed front board, al, and a hinged back board, a2. C Cl are two segmental supports, fastened to the inside of the side boards a. D is an axle, having its bearings in the upper part of the supports O O1. To the outer ends of the axle D is pivoted or hinged at their centers the arms E E l E2 E3 of the extensible frame F, which consists of a number of similar arms, pivoted together and braced as shown, the number of which being governed to reach the height of any building against which the ladder is likely to be used. To the upper arm of frame F is fastened the bent arms or hooks e, which serve to fasten and hold the frame at any point against the building. To the under side of the truck is placed a shaft, G, supported an djournaled tothe two brackets H H', which are fastened at their upper ends to the axle D, and also held together at or near their centers bythe rod h, which passes through the side boards a in a slot, c. This axle D is held in a xed position, as shown in Fig. l, by aid of the staple d. To the inside of the bracket H is placed or fastened a toothed bar, hl, (see Fig. 4",) which is engaged by the cog-pinion I on axle Il, revolving in suitable bearings in the brackets J J placed underneath the truck, just over the shaft G. The axle I1 is placed in such a manner upon the brackets J J as to be permitted to slide upon the same in a erosswise movement. This is done in order that the cog-wheel I can be shifted from the toothed bar to a cog-wheel, g, on the shaft G. (See Fig. 2b.) To the other end of the shaft G is placed a ratchet-wheel, g2, which is engaged by the pawl g3. (See Fig. 4a.) To the end of axle II is keyed a crank, I2. To the lower ends of arms E F1 E2 E3 are fastened the ropes or chains e2 e3 e4 e5, which are, respectively, fastened"`to the shaft G.

It is evident that, as the ropes are wound around the shaft G and the said arms are being drawn together, the same will cause the frame F to be elevated, as shown in Fig. l.

When it is required to incline the elevated frame either forward or backward, the axle Il is drawn or moved to one side, so that the cogpinion I will disengage itself from the cogwheel g and engage the toothed bar h1. The crank I2 being turned through the action of said pinion and bar, the brackets H H will be given a forward or backward movement upon the pivot-axle D, and, as the arms E IlI E2 E3 are fastened to the shaft G by the ropes, the frame F will also be given the same movement.

K is a sliding frame, consisting of two side pieces, k k1, and end pieces k2 k3. This frame is placed inside the truckbody, and is drawn out by aid of the rope 7a4, one end of which is fastened to the end piece k2, from whence it passes over the small pulley a9 along the truckbody to the front of the same, where it is fastened to a windingroller, A3, which is provided with a crank, A4, and ratchet-wheel A5, which is engaged by the pawl a6. The object of this frame K is to give the endless rope ladder O a proper inclination, as shown in Fig. l, so as to enable persons to descend easily. This rope ladder passes over a roller, f, on the top of the extensible frame F, thence downward under another roller, a?, in the truck-body. Itpasses over a windingreel, P, fastened to the back part of the truck in a suitable manner, said reel being providedand operated by a crank, p. The ladder then passes under another roller, Whichforms the endpiece of the frame K.

When the frame F is extended upward and the frame K outward, the rope ladder will be drawn tightly betweenv the rollers f, 7c3, andal, which Will give the ladder a sufficient tension to prevent it from moving When persons are ascending and descending.

I do not Wish to be understood as confining myself to the above mode of holding the rope ladder from moving, as others can be used to the same advantage.

When the frame F is folded, as shown in Fig. 4, the rope ladder is Wound around the reel P, and the said frame is held onto the truck: by aid of the resting device R, which consists of the arms 1' r1, levers r2 r3, and operating -lever R. As the levers r2 r3 are thrown outward they will extend under the arms E El E2 E3 of the extensible frame F, and thus serve as a iirm and steady rest for said frame upon the truck.

To the top of the extensible frame F is fastened the flexible chute S, for removing paci;- ages, &c., from buildings. The front of this chute is held open by aid of a frame, s, which is fastened to the frame F. (See Fig. 2a.) T is the drivers' seat.

Having thus described my invention, l de-` sire to claim- 1. The brackets II II', with cog-bar h1, as shown, in combination with the cog-Wheel I on axle Il and the extensible frame F, subst-antially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The endless rope ladder O, in combination With the extensible frame F and frame K, rollers f a? k3, and reel l?, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The resting device R, consisting of the arms r r1, levers r2 r3 and R', in combination with the arms E El E2 E3 of the frame F and the truck A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a hre-escape, the combination and arrangement oi the frames F K, brackets H H', shafts G, axle Il, cog-Wheels I y, rope ladders 0, chute S, and truck A, substantially as set forth.

DIEDRIGH L. DIEGKMANN. idlitnesses:

F. BARRET, (Ji-IR. RIEGELMAN. 

